PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – No. 16/16 Penn State Football (2-0) defeated Temple (1-1), 27-9 in front of 61,714 fans at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. The Nittany Lions secured their first road win of the season and first under head coach Matt Campbell.
Temple scored first in the contest, but Penn State answered with 27 straight points in the commanding victory. After a defensive stalemate in the first frame, Penn State tallied 10 points in both the second and third quarters to pull away from the Owls. The Nittany Lion defense did not allow a touchdown for the first three stanzas, marking seven straight quarters their opponents did not find the end zone.
Penn State’s offense compiled 416 yards including 268 through the air and 148 on the ground, marking its second straight contest with 400+ offensive yards. Senior quarterback Rocco Becht was responsible for 279 yards, completing 21-of-27 passes for 268 yards in addition to 11 rushing yards.
Senior tight end Ben Brahmer was Becht’s top target, connecting on five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt senior wide receiver Chase Sowell followed with five receptions for 58 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Koby Howard and redshirt freshman wide receiver Zay Robinson each hauled in three receptions, both making a 20-plus yard catch. Howard tallied a 56-yard reception on the game’s opening play from scrimmage.
Senior running back Carson Hansen led the Penn State run game, totaling 84 yards on 19 carries. Junior running back James Peoples followed with seven attempts and 42 yards. Becht ran the ball five times for 11 yards, including a 12-yard keeper.
Redshirt junior linebacker Tony Rojas led the defensive efforts for the second consecutive game, totaling seven tackles and his first interception of the season. Junior linebacker Cael Brezina followed with six tackles including five solo. Cornerback Zion Tracy chipped in five tackles and a pass breakup. Redshirt senior defensive end Ikenna Ezeogu, senior safety Jamison Patton and redshirt senior safety Jeremiah Cooper each tallied four tackles. Sophomore defensive end Yvan Kemajou recorded his first sack of the season for a loss of seven yards. Redshirt senior defensive tackle Siale Taupaki produced his second straight game with a tackle for loss in addition to three total tackles.
Redshirt junior kicker Ryan Barker converted two field goals for 31 and 39 yards in addition to three extra points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An explosive 56-yard connection between Becht and Howard opened the game. Despite moving into the red zone, the Nittany Lions were unable to punch it in, as a penalty and a six-yard sack pushed them back to the 15. Barker’s 33-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful, allowing the Owls to take over on their 20-yard line.
After just three offensive plays, Temple’s punter was called to action for the first time. Robinson returned the ball 19 yards, setting up the PSU offense at the Temple 44-yard line. Similarly, Penn State was forced to punt after three tries. Nathan Tiyce’s 35-yard punt was downed by Audavion Collins at the Temple 3-yard line.
The Owls moved the sticks once before a costly turnover. Rojas picked the ball at the 18-yard line and came up just shy of the end zone on the return, allowing the offense to set up on the five. Penn State’s offense came up short at the goal line, resulting in a turnover on downs. The contest remained scoreless into the 10th minute of game action.
Temple used a 47-yard quarterback run to cross the midfield line for the first time. Kemajou’s sack for a loss of seven yards was erased on third and 12 as the Owls converted a first down for the final play of the first stanza. Temple continued to leverage the game clock, draining 8:11 on its first scoring drive of the contest. The PSU defense forced the field goal unit to the field at the six-yard line. The Owls owned a 3-0 lead at the 12-minute mark in the second frame.
The Nittany Lions moved the ball 39 yards on the ground in their first scoring sequence of the contest to level the score at 3-3. Barker capped off the drive with a 31-yard kick after the offense was stopped short of a first down.
Temple put together a series of first downs before a 15-yard penalty set the Owls back to third and 21 at their own 36-yard line. The punting unit took the field with just under two minutes in the first half. Penn State generated its first touchdown of the game on a 23-yard pass to Brahmer. The scoring play finished off a 10-play drive over 83 yards and 1:49 of game time. Throughout the sequence, Becht connected with three different targets for first downs amid a Peoples rush that featured a Saquon Barkley-like defender hurdle. With just eight seconds on the clock, Becht found Brahmer in the end zone to take a 10-3 advantage at the conclusion of the first half.
The Penn State defense halted the Owls’ offensive efforts to begin the third stanza, forcing an unsuccessful 52-yard field goal attempt that was blocked by Daryus Dixson. The Nittany Lions took over at their own 34-yard line where they would begin their third scoring quest. The eight-play, 66-yard scoring drive was capped by a 16-yard reception for Sowell, giving PSU a 17-3 lead with 8:25 remaining in the third quarter.
After a quick appearance by the Temple offense that led to a punt, PSU utilized six minutes of game time to put up three more points at the hands of Barker. A 39-yard field goal completed the 11-play drive that spanned 62 yards, giving Penn State a 20-3 edge with eight seconds on the clock in the third frame.
The Nittany Lion defense forced the fourth punt from the Owls, allowing the offense to balloon its lead to 27-3. Brahmer finished off the 10-play drive with a 23-yard reception from Becht. PSU converted on two third downs throughout the series amid a balanced offensive attack featuring five completions and five rushes. Becht showcased his biggest run of the season, moving the ball 12 yards on the ground.
The Owls found the end zone for the first time with just under two minutes on the clock. Temple capped a 12-play drive with a three-yard rush and was not successful on its two-point conversion attempt. Penn State led 27-9 as Alex Manske took the field for the first time on the day at quarterback. After three plays, the final seconds ticked off the clock, finalizing a 27-9 Penn State victory.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and tickets for the 2026 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.